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Re: Goodbye Vonta Leach

man gonna miss this dude just decimating LBs and secondaries they don't make them like him anymore its a dying breed. We will miss you Leach, imagine what it is to be a LB and look over the line to see 44 eyeballing you the whole time..i wouldnt want that ask Patrick Willis.

Re: Goodbye Vonta Leach

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

They won the SB. That's how it turned out.

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Way to totally avoid my point. You were wrong about last year's defense, even bristling when I dared to broach the subject that the defense of 2012 would not be as good as years past. I even offered a friendly wager (a steak dinner for two at the restaurant of your choice). Predictably, you wouldn't back up your words

Re: Goodbye Vontae Leach

Originally Posted by runrayrun27

You know what gives a team an identity? Winning. And that's what this new look Ravens team will do. It's more in line with a faster, athletic league. To suggest they don't have toughness is quite laughable. They have tough trenches on both sides of the ball. And where is this Pollard boner coming from? He is an average strong safety at best. Yes he made what is my favourite play of the run knocking out Ridley, but he was shit in pass coverage and if you haven't watch Elam play he can hit too.

I'm pumped for the new identity they are going to have this year

To suggest that the loss of nine starters, including two first ballot Hall of Famers, would not negatively impact a football team is even more laughable.

To suggest that the loss of nine starters, including two first ballot Hall of Famers, would not negatively impact a football team is even more laughable.

I love Ed and Ray but neither one was a Hall of Fame caliber player last year. Hell, neither one was even better than middle of the pack, and at times were worse. As for the other starters lost, I don't see a spot on defense where we didn't upgrade the lost guy, and on Offense we lost two over 30 players who cost significantly more than they're worth, and one of them may still come back at a reduced salary. All in all, I think this team is at least as good as last year's, and potentially much better.

My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging. -Hank Aaron

We can argue about if these are upgrades, but I think several are. Juice is not going to match Leach as a lead blocker, but he will be more versatile and capable as a weapon. Dumervil is a no-brainer, he has many seasons of success. Reed Lewis and Birk will be 35, 37 and 37 this year. Time takes it's toll on everyone, it was time to move on.

Re: Goodbye Vonta Leach

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

I love Ed and Ray but neither one was a Hall of Fame caliber player last year. Hell, neither one was even better than middle of the pack, and at times were worse. As for the other starters lost, I don't see a spot on defense where we didn't upgrade the lost guy, and on Offense we lost two over 30 players who cost significantly more than they're worth, and one of them may still come back at a reduced salary. All in all, I think this team is at least as good as last year's, and potentially much better.

I agree for the most part, especially with regards to speed and athleticism at safety and inside linebacker. My concern is the (lack of) identity. With the departed, especially Pollard, Boldin and Leach, we had the identity of being a rough, physical team who, even if you beat them, physically you lost. Hell the Steelers hated playing us because after one of those battles it took two games to recover. We are at a cross roads, IMO because it's going to take while for the replacements to forge an identity of their own.